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jsc000586. Jamey Stillings Photograph Collection, 2009-2014, PH-00380. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada. http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/d1kd1qt5h
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HOW DOES THE IVANPAH SOLAR ELECTRIC GENERATING STATION WORK? Ivanpah Solar's concentrated solar thermal tower technology produces electricity the same way as fossil fuel power plants: by creating high-temperature steam to turn a conventional turbine. However, instead of using fossil fuels to create steam, it uses the sun's thermal energy. Central to the technology is a solar-field design that utilizes thousands of heliostats, each consisting of two mirrors. Optimization software and a control system allow individual heliostats to track the sun in two dimensions, thereby reflecting sunlight to a boiler positioned atop a tower. When concentrated sunlight strikes the solar receiver, it heats water to create superheated steam, which is piped down from the boiler to a conventional steam turbine that generates electricity. Transmission lines then carry the power to homes and businesses in Southern California. INFORMATION • Located on 14.2 square kilometers (about 5.5 square miles) of public land, managed by the US Bureau of Land Management • Three-unit power tower system capacity: 377 megawatts (Net) / 392 megawatts (Gross) Unit 1: 126 megawatts Unit 2: 133 megawatts Unit 3: 133 megawatts • Tower Height: 140 meters (459 feet) • Number of Heliostats: 173,500 (2 mirrors per heliostat) • Reflective Area per Heliostat: 15.2 square meters (a little over 163 square feet) • Heliostat Solar-Field Aperture Area: 2,637,200 square meters (28,386,585 square feet; about 2.5 square kilometers or 1 square mile) • Average Homes Served Annually: 140,000 • Average Heliostat Installation Rate: 1 per minute during construction period • Heliostat Placement Accuracy: +/- 10 centimeters (4 inches) of depth; 15 centimeters (6 inches) of leeway in location • Boiler Type: Solar Receiver Steam Generator (SRSG) • Cooling Method: Dry (air-cooled condenser) • Water Consumption: 123,000 cubic meters per year (100 acre feet per year), equivalent to 300 homes per year • Avoided Emissions: More than 400,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year • Construction Jobs Created: More than 2,100 craft workers, a total of 2,636 workers at peak construction • Owners: NRG Energy, Google, and BrightSource Energy • EPC Contractor: Bechtel • Customers: Pacific Gas & Electric; Southern California Edison • Construction Commenced: October 2010 • Operational: December 2013